JOHNSON COUNTY, KAN. (March 3, 2014) – Johnson County residents, businesses and those who have opted-in for the NotifyJoCo emergency alert system will receive a test phone call, text, or email on Tuesday, March 4th sometime after 10 a.m. as a part of the annual test of the emergency alert system.

In recognition of emergency preparedness, Johhnson County resients, businesses and comuters are urged to sign-up for NotifyJoCo emergency alerts at www.NotifyJoCo.org. Individuals and businesses may be contacted via landline telephone, mobile phone, email and text during the test. The system is programmed to continue trying to reach its contacts until recipients confirm they have received the notice by following the instructions in the message. March 2nd kicks off Severe Weather Awareness Week.

NotifyJoCo is an emergency alert system that began in 2013 to keep Johnson County residents, businesses and others informed of public safety alerts, water main breaks, public health alerts, and more. NotifyJoCo is a FREE public service made possible by a partnership of local governments and public utilities in Johnson County.

To enroll in NotifyJoCo, log onto www.NotifyJoCo.org to customize your contact information, tag your locations and update your contact preferences. Residents without internet access may call 913-826-5555 for assistance with registration. All information provided will be kept confidential and only used to contact citizens about emergencies or non-emergency topics on which they have elected to receive information.

Since the inception of NotifyJoCo, over 17,000 people have signed-up to receive emergency alerts and information that is important to them. These include public safety, water quality, and public health alerts along with non-emergency information like events and festivals, street work and many other services provided by local governments. In addition, the Notify JoCo system is linked to over 140,000 land line contacts.

Notify JoCo is the only emergency alert used by public official from Johnson County, several cities and WaterOne. NotifyJoCo has the ability to send out at least 100,000 notifications/hour, allowing NotifyJoCo to reach citizens immediately in emergency situations.

Parents are also encouraged to talk with their kids about severe weather drills and alerts from NotifyJoCo. Miles the Martian is the spokes-Martian for NotifyJoCo, teaching kids that information is power and staying alert in emergencies is a great way to show your bravery. Find Miles’s blog at www.NotifyJoCo.org .